diff --git a/arch/sparc64/kernel/time.c b/arch/sparc64/kernel/time.c
index 8a2fa0eb66029a83a3f0dfb9fa36f62ddb0ede65..8d2ca04d309e26b7734fdbec88d2db8e0ad2be2f 100644
--- a/arch/sparc64/kernel/time.c
+++ b/arch/sparc64/kernel/time.c
@@ -396,14 +396,14 @@ static unsigned long timer_ticks_per_nsec_quotient __read_mostly;
 int update_persistent_clock(struct timespec now)
 {
 	struct rtc_device *rtc = rtc_class_open("rtc0");
-	int err;
+	int err = -1;
 
 	if (rtc) {
 		err = rtc_set_mmss(rtc, now.tv_sec);
 		rtc_class_close(rtc);
 	}
 
-	return -1;
+	return err;
 }
 
 unsigned long cmos_regs;